Lions Municipal Golf Course

“Muny” is a beloved urban green space and civil rights landmark worthy of protection. Save Muny is dedicated to saving Lions Municipal Golf Course from development and preserving its urban green space, civil rights history, and golf legacy for the enjoyment of future generations of Austinites.

About

Lions Municipal Golf Course has been a part of Austin for almost 100 years as the city’s oldest and most beloved public course. “Muny” is a treasured urban green space and was recently recognized as a nationally significant civil rights historical site as the first public course in the South to racially integrate. But Austin is in danger of losing this invaluable property to development.​Save Muny has worked since 1973 to preserve Lions Municipal Golf Course as an inclusive, affordable place for all Austinites to enjoy the game of golf and the outdoors. With public events and outreach campaigns, the Save Muny initiative continues to demonstrate the course's intrinsic value to the Austin community and has helped to negotiate three lease extensions with the City of Austin.

Based on the course’s compelling role in the civil rights movement and in Texas golf history, the property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Save Muny remains a key stakeholder group in the dialogue between the University of Texas and the City of Austin, seeking to negotiate a mutually beneficial solution for preservation of Muny as an 18-hole municipal course.

Today, Lions Municipal Golf Course is:

Since 1924, a beloved natural green space amid a developing city

Host for almost 70,000 rounds of golf each year, on average

An attraction for local and regional golfers, with fewer than 14% of players residing in the same zip code as Muny

A practice course for more than 20 Austin area middle and high school golf teams

A perennial location for University Interscholastic League tournaments, having hosted hundreds of schools from across Texas

Host to more tournaments and charity events than any of the city’s other public golf courses

A civil rights historical site

A local treasure in the legacy of Texas golf

A 141-acre wildlife sanctuary and water recharge zone

Home to hundreds of protected heritage trees

Lions Golf Course in the near future could:

Remain the most popular and scenic public course in Austin

Enhance quality of life for all Austinites as an affordable, central recreation opportunity

Offer a world-class municipal course with restoration led by local golf legend and acclaimed course designer Ben Crenshaw

Have a new clubhouse with a public restaurant and event space

Be open to the public as a park on designated days

Enhance the value of future development projects on surrounding land

A bulldozed and developed Muny would mean:

The loss of the only 18-hole public golf course in central Austin

Demolition of priceless green space in an increasingly dense urban area

The permanent loss of a civil rights landmark and National Register of Historic Places site

The culling of hundreds of protected heritage trees

That taxpayer funds would be collected to support decades of construction work in central Austin

Thousands of additional vehicles in the neighborhoods around Muny in perpetuity

The end of a public place that has been part of Austin’s fabric for more than half of the city’s lifetime

BEN UNVEILS PLAN TO RESTORE MUNY:​As UT ponders Muny’s fate, Crenshaw makes pitch for a grand makeover​​​On February 15th, World Golf Hall of Fame member and two-time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw unveiled plans to restore and improve historic Lions Municipal Golf Course. Crenshaw has been a long-time advocate for Save Muny and his vision includes retaining the history of the course while improving its playability and enhancing its practice facility.

​“As the complex struggle for racial justice continues to take center stage across America, places like Austin’s Lions Municipal Golf Course have much to teach us about peaceful efforts towards increased human decency and respect,”​- Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

​"Its role as a local civil rights landmark makes it an ideal candidate for preservation and recognition.” - Congressman Lloyd Doggett, 35th District, Texas

“Lions is part of the narrative of racial progress not only in Austin but in the nation. Preserving it almost elevates to a sacred recognition of what took place there. My hope continues to be that the University of Texas will respect the desires of those of us who want it to not be redeveloped. And now with the considered decision of the registry officials, it appears as if our position has been affirmed. It seems to me that some serious weight needs to be given to their decision."- Joseph C. ParkerSenior Pastor, David Chapel Missionary Baptist ChurchAustin, Texas

“Based upon research conducted by the USGA Museum, as well as the work of scholars within the academic community, we believe that the historical significance of this municipal golf course warrants our firm endorsement. Specifically, this research suggests that Lions Municipal in late 1950 became the first course in the South to desegregate shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sweatt v. Painter”- United States Golf Association

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

The Austin Community Foundation is the Administrator of the “Friends of Muny Fund”, a fiscal sponsorship fund established to inform the public and encourage the City of Austin and the University of Texas to preserve our historic golf course, Lions Municipal. The Austin Community Foundation is a non-profit organization, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code of 1986. All contributions to the “Friends of Muny Fund” are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and purchases by the Foundation are tax-exempt. EIN: 74-1934031